A/N: Thanks so much to Guest, alfieHewie, Drizzlex2 and Aurora for reviewing 3
alfieHewie - don't worry, even though Draco and Arianwen aren't together now, they will have plenty of encounters ;)
Aurora - yes it is a pity you can't DM! I agree about their hostility, it amuses me too.
Chapter Thirty: Realisations
Arianwen clutched at her throat, nails scraping the skin as she frantically gasped for air. Nimue watched her with cold eyes.
"You're distracted, girl," she said, her tone as flat as the thin line of her mouth, and Arianwen could suddenly breathe again. "Your mind is full of useless things, pointless disputes with — a boy?" Her eyes flashed dangerously, and her mouth twisted into something that might have been disgust, or amusement. "A boy," she said, dragging out the word, "a boy who left you; and it's no wonder." Arianwen shot her a shocked, offended look, not entirely understanding, and saw the sadistic look in her eye. "Look at you," Nimue said, "you're pathetic, a little whimpering girl, desperate for attention, still full of childish hope that he will realise, suddenly, that the sun shines out of your arse, that he'll come running back to you and everything will be wonderful and happy." Arianwen felt the wound of Nimue's words strike her like a knife, like the knife she drew on Draco, and pushed back against it, determined not to cry.
"It's no wonder he doesn't love you," Nimue continued, her tone almost casual in its derision. "Who could love you, child — because that is what you are, a child, pathetic, wheedling, whining, clinging to your friends and your lover and your father with your desperation for love and validation; everyone keeps leaving you because they see you for who you are: an utter waste of a life, toxic and pointless and grasping for a purpose that isn't there. I bet," she said, her voice taking on a sly note, "that your father died just to get away from you."
Something snapped inside Arianwen, and she felt anger replace the misery that had been swirling somewhere at the back of her throat, rage pulsing in her stomach and her fingers, twisting her mouth down into a scowl, a snarl. Her eyes prickled, but not with the feeling of tears. It was the same feeling she had had when Draco refused to say that he loved her, the same swell of anger and hot blood pounding in her head.
"Ah," said Nimue, her smile satisfied and terrifying. "There it is."
Arianwen blinked at her, not understanding, and Nimue gestured to the still water of the lake. "Take a look at your true power, girl," she said, and Arianwen stepped forward to peer down at her reflection.
Her eyes were pools of pure, glistening darkness in her face, and Arianwen could feel the power within her, could feel the life force of Nimue next to her, the way she could just reach out and pull it towards her—
"Please, child," Nimue said, "you couldn't drain me if you tried, and the effort of containing me would destroy you; but this is your true power, Arianwen, the power of your blood, passed down through the female line of your family, because only women can wield it. This is the power you can use to destroy any enemy."
"How does it work?" Arianwen said, watching her reflection with a horrified fascination.
"When it overcomes you," Nimue said, "it is as though you become Death, and as such are no longer alive, and therefore cannot be killed. You can take the life force of others but they cannot take yours. All you need is the key to access it, and that is what we have just found."
"Anger," Arianwen said.
"Rage," Nimue corrected. "This power is how I am still alive after a millennium in that tower, and it is this power that will win you your war."
"Ginny! Are you alright?" Neville hobbled over to where Ginny lay, curled into a ball, her breathing ragged.
"I'm fine," she grumbled, wincing as she rolled onto her knees, curling her back upwards in a most feline movement. "I can't wait for the day where I can kill Alecto bloody Carrow."
Neville nodded gravely. "You and me both."
He waited while Ginny gathered herself together, his eyes wandering to a girl who had been hanging by her wrists from the ceiling since before even they had arrived. It had become pretty commonplace for Neville to find himself in detention as the term had progressed, his position as leader of Dumbledore's Army meant that he was often targeted by the Carrows who seemed determined to make an example out of him. The hanging girl hadn't moved since they'd got there, he assumed she must have passed out for there was no way anyone could sleep through his and Ginny's screams as Alecto Carrow used the Cruciatus Curse on them repeatedly over the course of an hour. Their detention had been cut short by Filch, who'd called the stumpy Death Eater away claiming there was a disturbance in the courtyard. Never had he been so glad to see Argus Filch in his life.
Ginny pulled hard on his forearm as she dragged herself to her feet, her eyes also falling upon the girl. She grimaced as she saw blood dripping down her arms, which looked oddly disconnected to her body, as though both her shoulders had dislocated.
"Reckon Gwydion's dead?" she joked crudely.
Neville frowned. "Don't say that," he reprimanded. "Come on, lets get her down."
Ginny looked at him like he was mad. "Are you deranged? Do you enjoy getting battered by the Carrows or something?"
"We can't just leave her, she must've been hanging there for hours!" Even so, he still didn't move to pull her down, Ginny's warning playing on his mind. "What do you reckon she did?"
The redhead examined Arianwen thoughtfully, "I dunno but it must've been bad for them to do that to one of their own."
"I'm not one of them," Arianwen's croaky voice sounded, her head rising slowly to make eye contact with the Gryffindors.
"Merlin, Arianwen!" Neville jumped, "you look half dead!" He darted over to a wheel on the wall and turned it anticlockwise, the cogs clicking inside as the chains lowered. He managed to free the chains from her wrists and gestured to Ginny to help him carry her out.
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Arianwen snapped, knocking their hands away and getting to her feet independently, flexing her hands as she did so. She felt blood rush down her arms and into her finger tips, the bruising and cuts carved into her flesh from the chains healing rapidly.
"What the fuck?" Ginny breathed, staring in awe at Arianwen's now entirely healed arm. "How did you do that?"
"None of your business," Arianwen bit back frostily. "And I am not one of them."
Ginny crossed her arms haughtily. "Could've fooled me."
Neville's eyes darted between them worriedly, his hands starting to rise upward as though he expected to have to physically referee.
"Just cos' Malfoy ditched you, doesn't mean we suddenly think you're innocent," the Wesley girl continued.
Arianwen glared hard at the other girl. "What exactly am I guilty of then?" she shouted. "They attacked one of our villages, do you really think I would side with them after that?"
"Then why are you here?" Ginny shouted back. "Why aren't you fighting back?"
"It's not that fucking simple is it," the blonde spat.
"Will you join us then?" Neville asked quietly. "Will you join us and fight against him, against all of them?"
Arianwen felt the anger drain out of her, she eyed Neville tiredly. "We don't fight English wars." She left the room not long after that, ignoring Ginny's outbursts about it being a Welsh war too, and thanking Neville for freeing her. Ginny was right of course, it was everybody's war but then it wasn't Arianwen that needed to be convinced, it was the rest of the War Councilors in Wales – the people that had voted her uncle into the Warden of the South position. Convincing them would not be easy at all.
"Good evening, comrades." Voldemort greeted, the Death Eaters muttering greetings in return.
"We've made significant progress in eradicating the resistance in England and Scotland and yet I am hearing reports of discontent amongst the councilors of Wales. Tell me Lord Gwydion," Voldemort's red eyes rested upon Dafydd's cringing form. Draco glowered at the coward from under his hood.
"This man is descended from kings," Voldemort addressed the room at large, "and yet," his tone took on a more dangerous note, "we have still not taken Wales. Do tell us, my Lord," he said derisively, the other Death Eaters snickering at the Welshman's expense "Are you so useless that your own countrymen won't support you? Or perhaps you don't want your Lord to liberate your country from the mudblood filth?"
"No, no! My Lord! I want nothing more. Your victory is my greatest desire, but some of my fellows are being confused by my neice-"
"Your neice! A girl! Pathetic."
"We share the same blood, the girl has been granted my title, some councilors believe her to have a greater claim to the Wardenship than I."
"And does she? Maybe we've backed the wrong player." Draco recognised Bellatrix's voice as she mocked the other man.
Dafydd ignored her, his eyes still fixed on his master. "They are but weak minded fools, my Lord. They can be easily swayed to our cause-"
"What's taking so long then?" A voice from the crowd jeered.
"Interesting of you to contribute, Amycus, considering the amount of resistance that you're still facing in Hogwarts. Children, no less! Tell me, has this girl been dealt with as I requested?"
Draco noticed the stumpy form of Amycus' sister Alecto step forward. "My Lord, we have been keeping her in detention and have people watching her round the clock!"
"Ah yes," Voldemort said, his mouth twisting into a callous smirk. "You are fond of your detentions, aren't you Alecto? I assume your usual methods are continuing to be effective?"
Draco swallowed hard, remembering what Blaise had said about the Carrows predaliction for physical punishment. I am going to fucking kill them. He imagined beating them bloody with his bare hands, the idea bringing him a brief spark of happiness.
Alecto took a half step backwards, an obvious retreat. "Uh-well, we still haven't got any useful information from the girl-" Voldemort span around to face Alecto directly, sensing his wrath, she covered her tracks quickly, "but we have heard reports of her leaving the castle frequently, possibly returning to Wales!"
"Is this true?" Voldemort addressed Snape, who had thus far been keeping out of it.
"As per your instructions my Lord, I have entrusted this responsibility to the Carrows. I personally do not see any threat from the girl, she is talented, certainly, but how much harm can she do when she isn't even in Wales."
"Then where does the blame lie, Serverus?" Voldemort asked him, the other Death Eaters drawing in breath collectively, knowing that Snape's next move could be a death sentence.
"I would suggest," Snape drawled, unaffected, "that Lord Gwydion ought to focus his efforts on quelling the resistance to his election and completing the real goal of consolidating the Welsh armies for your command."
Voldemort paused, considering Snape's words. "Very well," he moved his wand lazily, flicking it in the direction of Dafydd. "Crucio."
A/N: Please review, I'll love you forever!
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, thanks for continuing to read!